1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical devices and, more particularly, to surgical seal assemblies for use with a surgical access device during minimally invasive surgical procedures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Minimally invasive surgical procedures, including both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures, permit surgery to be performed on organs, tissues and vessels far removed from an opening within the tissue. Laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures generally require that any instrumentation inserted into the body be sealed, i.e. provisions must be made to ensure that gases do not enter or exit the body through the incision as, for example, in surgical procedures in which the surgical region is insufflated. These procedures typically employ surgical instruments which are introduced into the body through a cannula. The cannula has a seal assembly associated therewith. The seal assembly provides a substantially fluid tight seal about the instrument to preserve the integrity of the established pneumoperitoneum.
Minimally invasive procedures have several advantages over traditional open surgery, including less patient trauma, reduced recovery time, reduced potential for infection, etc. However, despite its recent success and overall acceptance as a preferred surgical technique, minimally invasive surgery, such as laparoscopy, has several disadvantages. In particular, the maintenance of the seal about the surgical instrument has proved to be difficult in certain procedures, e.g., in procedures requiring extensive manipulation of the long narrow endoscopic instruments within a remote site. In addition, the force needed to insert the surgical instrument requires great effort by the user to overcome the seal's retention force.